Vehicle-to-X communication (V2X) based on IEEE 802.11p for vehicles is currently being introduced onto the market and improves the digital communication capabilities of vehicles with the intention of increasing safety for the subscribing road users and optimizing traffic flow. Vehicle-to-X communication includes vehicle-to-vehicle communication (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication (V2I). V2V communication enables information to be exchanged between different vehicles, such as for example information about the position and velocity of the vehicles in question, so as to prevent accidents between the subscribing vehicles. V2I communications may provide vehicles with information about their traveling environment, such as for example traffic information or information about obstacles in a road.
The technological basis for a digitally networked vehicle is provided by a corresponding V2X communication device in a vehicle. In newly produced vehicles which are designed with a digital communication capability, this V2X-based communication device is already permanently installed as original equipment. However, if only new vehicles have this technology fitted, then the range of use and spread of this new technology is restricted.
For this reason, it is desirable for this modern technology to even be retrofittable to older vehicles or vehicles built at an earlier point in time, so that these vehicles may also be digitally networked with new, current generation vehicles.